Red String of Fate
by Elfana
Summary: Their Ritual is about to start. Cruel fate is set on separating them. Mutsuki and Itsuki. Not really romance, but I like to see it that way. Rated T because of the Ritual.


**A/N: **This is my first Fatal Frame story. I must admit that I have not played the game myself, for I am a coward. But I did watch play-throughs and I simply fell in love with the Tachibana twins. I also confess that I totally do ship them more than _just _brothers. Their ritual failed because of _brotherly love_ my ass!

Also, it's unbeta-ed. I was too excited to wait for my precious beta-reader to respond to me, so I'm just posting it right away. Can always edit, right? ó u ò  
Edit: My beta corrected it for me~ So now everything is all better. u v u

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fatal Frame or any of its characters. _

* * *

Tightly holding onto his brother's hand, Tachibana Mutsuki walked between the Veiled Priests. His technical younger brother was biting his lip, trying his hardest not to burst into tears as the Kurosawa House doomed up in front of them. He squeezed his brother's hand and glanced over, a small smile on his face.

Itsuki's bottom lip trembled as he squeezed back. The thick red thread that tied them together at the waist moved between them as they walked, their entangled hands hovering above it.

Guided by Veiled Priests, the twins walked across the Whisper Bridge, leading towards the main entrance of the Kurosawa House. It was the first time after being locked inside of their own house, that there were outside. Only access outside of their house had been the Earth Passage leading to the Kiryu House.

And now… Mutsuki swallowed, was the last time he would ever be here. He looked at his right again, where Itsuki was trembling beside him. If their Ritual was a success… Yae and Sae would be spared. They would be fine… the Abyss would be calmed for some of the time to come.

"Tachibana twins," a Veiled Priest spoke up, leading them through the house down towards a tunnel that seemed to go on forever. But all too soon, they arrived at the Ritual site near the Abyss. More Veiled Priests were standing there, ceremonial staffs in their hands. Candles were burning on sticks, giving everything a creepy glow. In the middle was a circle… the Enteral Ritual.

"It is time. Itsuki," the Priest continued. "Start the Ritual." Some Priests pushed the twins onto the circle, surrounded by the burning candles. The red chord between them was cut…

The Veiled Priests heaved their staffs and brought them back down on the ground with a bang. A rhythm… A rhythm that would only bring pain and death. Mutsuki had to admit it was a horrible sound to hear, especially when it was going to be one of the last things that would ever reach his ears. Silent tears were streaming over Itsuki's face, when he turned to his brother.

"It is time now. Tachibana Itsuki, take your responsibility. You were born for this fate."

Mutsuki held back the urge to glare at the priests for pressuring his brother. He lifted their intertwined hands and pressed the palm of Itsuki's hand against his chest. He grabbed his brother's other and guided it to his neck slowly. Itsuki's hand was cold against the warm skin of his throat.

Panic was showing on Itsuki's face but Mutsuki smiled encouragingly at his twin. "Shh… It's fine," Mutsuki whispered softly. Itsuki shook his head, tears dripping on the white robes.

"Itsuki… can you feel my heart beating? It's still beating for you. It has always been beating for you… together with yours. Our hearts beat as one, Itsuki. I'll always be by your side as long as your heart still beats on strong."

"Mutsuki," the younger hiccupped. "I can't do this…"

"You have to be strong. I'm here with you. Until the end," his brother replied, removing Itsuki's hand from his chest, placing it on the other side of his neck, thumbs crossing at the front. The rhythm made by the staffs smashing onto the ground sped up ever so slightly. "Do it."

Itsuki's eyes locked with his brothers as he applied pressure on Mutsuki's neck. The older one, though called younger by the village customs, gasped and squeezed his eyes shut. He forced them open again, starting at his brother's face, who was still crying silently. A neverending stream of tears.

"It's alright… Itsuki…" he whispered and reached up his hands, brushing them through his brother's hair softly. Itsuki tried to lean into the touch, but Mutsuki shook his head. "Go on."

Itsuki tightened his grip on his brother's throat and Mutsuki cringed in discomfort, but never stopped looking at his brother.

"You're doing great… Itsuki… I'm right here. When this is over… I'll be watching over you," It was getting harder to talk. Itsuki's fingers had warmed up against his neck, slowly but surely taking away his life. Mutsuki kept brushing his fingers through the other's hair.

"J... Just do it…"

More pressure. Itsuki's face silently screamed how he didn't want to do this. How he absolutely despised doing this and would have never done so if it hadn't been ordered. Mutsuki could faintly hear his brother sobbing his name over and over. The rhythm of his name wasn't in sync with the rhythm the Priests chanted with their staffs.

"H-Hey…" Mutsuki coughed. He knew he would be done for soon, the end was near. He just had to… let him know that all of this would never, ever change the way he felt about his twin.

"Itsuki… I love you. Always… always," Mutsuki breathed. The last thing he saw was his brother's expression, absolutely horrified with himself yet somehow managing to return his feelings with that same look. Death couldn't separate them.

His name being whispered was his lullaby until his ability to hear died with his vision. "Mutsuki… Mutsuki…" Both boys stumbled over, Itsuki removing his hands from his brother's neck as if burned.

"It's done. We should offer the body to the Abyss right away," a Priest said, his eyes shifting from the Sacrifice to the other boy, the Remaining. The younger twin had thrown himself upon the older one, now crying and screaming on the other's chest.

"Me too, Mutsuki! I love you too!"

He kept screaming even when the Priests pulled him off and held him back when two Mourners lifted up Mutsuki's lifeless body and carried it away, down where they would throw him in the Abyss. A hand finally silenced Itsuki's screams for his brother, who was now long out of sight.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Itsuki looked outside one last time between the bars of the storehouse, where he had been locked up after helping the Kurosawa twins escape. Brushing his fingers over the rope he had smuggled in under his robes, he made a loop and fastened it with a knot. This would do… this would do perfectly.

In the end, he had been useless without Mutsuki. Their Ritual had failed… Mutsuki had never been able to become a butterfly… Itsuki hadn't been able to save anyone either. He could only hope the Kurosawa twins had managed to get away. Away from this place and their horrible rituals.

He stuck his head through the loop he had made, after securing the rope to the ceiling. His story would end here. He would stay here… in the city. Together with Mutsuki. Forever. With a kick of his foot he pushed over the table he had been standing on, feeling himself hang in the air, struggling for air. Mutsuki… Mutsuki…

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

After many years of repeating the same night… the night of the last Ritual, Itsuki found himself being whispered to while fingers brushed through his hair in a familiar way. Painfully familiar, thinking back how the last time he felt them was at that certain night, when his twin brother and him were performing the Ritual.

"You're awake, huh?"

That voice… it couldn't be…

The white haired twin's eyes snapped open, coming face to face with his one and only twin brother, who had placed Itsuki's head on his lap, smiling softly.

"Look at your hair, Itsuki, it has gone all white," Mutsuki grinned, combing his fingers through it. "Chitose had already said your hair had changed because of grief, but I never thought it was actually true."

There were many things Itsuki had wanted to ask… Did Mutsuki forgive him? Did he know what happened to the Kurosawa twins? Had Chitose been here? Where were they to begin with? But when his brother leaned closer and wrapped his arms around him, it didn't matter anymore.

"Welcome back," Mutsuki whispered in his ear, his warm breath tickling. "Itsuki."

The younger one wrapped his arms around his brother, fingers brushing softly over the bruised skin of his brother's neck. A soft trail of touches, apologizing, before Itsuki propped himself up and properly hugged his brother back. Reunited once more.

_~Fin~_


End file.
